City to use grant on 82nd Street

The De Soto City Council agreed to spend whatever federal community development block grant money it receives for this year to help repave an old-town street.

Throughout the early years of this decade, the city received about $100,000 in CDBG aid a year. That money was used for such projects as replacement and installation of old-town sidewalks, upgrades to the Community Center, a parking lot in Miller Park, repaving of Penner Avenue and 83rd streets, and the sidewalk now being built on Lexington Avenue, (the city's 2005 CDBG program was delayed because of design complications).

Last year, the Bush Administration ushered changes to the CDBG program through Congress that gave Johnson County, which administers the local grants, less money to distribute. The city learned last fall it would only get half the $100,000 it sought for Community Center parking lot improvements and a picnic shelter near the new pool.

With CDBG money expected to be tighter this year, city engineer Mike Brungardt and city planner Kim Gordanier proposed the city stay away from such parks and recreational projects to concentrate on infrastructure programs that the grant administrators favored last year.

From a list of possible projects that included replacement of downtown sidewalks, maintenance on the city well field and sewer lift station and line improvements, the council chose a mill and overlay of 82nd Street from Ferry to Ottawa streets. It is hoped the CDBG program will provide $43,000 of the project's estimated $143,000 costs.

In other business, the council:

Approved a planned development rezoning for the climate-controlled self-storage units on the southwest corner of 95th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Approved rezoning of 24 acres on 95th Street west of Lexington Avenue from rural/residential to general business. The property is to be the future home of K-10 Heartland Community Church.

Scheduled a work session for Wednesday on the city tax abatement/incentive policy. The council agreed it would consider abatements for the Engineered Air proposed expansion and Fish Development office complex in K-Ten Commerce Park that were in line with previously discussed 50 percent, 10-year tax abatement guidelines.